Okay so I took the ACT in December with no prep and no stress and got a 33 (33E 31M 34R 33S 22W)
I just took it again in April hoping to raise my math and writing scores. I honestly don’t know what happened (I think it was bc I was stressed out and stress gets to me) but somehow every single subsection went down and my composite plummeted to a 30, BUT I DID BETTER IN MATH (32E 33M 26R?? 30S)
My dream school in Notre Dame, my dad went there so I have legacy, and they do not superscore the ACT. Should I send both tests in to show my better math subsection or just send in the higher composite score? To schools that do Superscore, I assume I should send in both scores? I will not be taking any standardized tests again, they stress me out too much and give me anxiety/insomnia the weeks leading up (I always almost faint checking my scores, too)
Please help, I am struggling right now, very dissapointed, and very confused what to do with these scores…
What grade are you in? And relax, you showed that you are capable of getting a 33…if you are still a Junior or younger, just take your time and prepare for an ACT a few months from now. As far as superscoring, the avg ACT at ND is a 32-33, so your 30 hurts (not counting for all other factors of admission obviously). I would suggest if you can retake it, you definitely should. But even then, your score is still acceptable (Math and Science have most weightage and you got 30+ on both of those, so the 26 shouldn’t matter much). If you can, definitely do submit both tests and explain the dropoff in the second one but point to how your math improved. But my number one recommendation would be to retake it if you can because your 30 is your most recent, and therefore most accurate score.
33 is a great score. Retake again with the same attitude you had the first time. Take your time and do plenty of practice test where you can time yourself. Score is good enough for ND.
If you will not be retaking it, then send in the 33 only. Two of my kids have gone to ND and that score will get you through the gate! I would not send the 30. A 33 is a good score for ND. Your legacy will help too. Extra-curriculars? Service? Write great essays and check with your local admissions rep. Good luck and Go Irish!
Another vote to send just the 33. Some schools only list the composite on your app so the subscores aren’t even visible (unless the adcomm wants to look more closely for some reason). 33 vs. 31 on one section is not worth letting them see the 30 (which is also a fine score, of course, but obviously not as impressive as the 33).